What’s Data Journalism? What’s Newsworthy?
Data journalism leverages computers, digital data formats and other
electronic technology to use and present data in ways that are more
interesting, efficient or rapid than traditional reporting.
Investigative data journalism presents data-driven text & visual narrative
that uncovers abuse of power, inefficiencies, or inequities on the part of
government and powerful institutions, individuals, organizations and foreign
powers.
Some Definitions
A definition from the business world
A hundred years ago, journalists operated in a world of information scarcity,
uncovering & providing information the public otherwise could not find.
NOW, in the digital age, we are drowning in information - especially data. A
growing role of the journalist and of the data journalist is to make sense of
available information for their readers.
Data & Journalism
Seeking Data Ninjas
Finding Data and Bringing It to Life
Adapted from Boston University Power of Narrative Conference, 2019
Seven Core Skills for Data-Driven Narrative
Adapted from Boston University Power of Narrative Conference, 2019
Is any old dataset I find going to work?
How do I figure out what to write about?
How do I know when I have a story?
BUT FIRST - that “tell a story” bubble is awful small
What are key features of a newsworthy story?
Brainstorm in small groups
Finding a
News Peg
The News Peg: answers WHY NOW?
It’s the single most important reason a reporter or producer
should publish the story immediately. The peg is the very core
of the story's urgency. The peg makes the story pitch
timely, and defines the story as NEWS.
1. You find a dataset or idea that
interests you
2. THEN connect to the contemporary
landscape (find your peg) in reverse.
OR:
(student examples: Smith mental health, Noho mural)
The Event (PEG): In a major crash on a New
Hampshire highway, a MA-licensed semi
struck and killed a group of 7 motorcyclists.
The Question: Turns out the driver had a
history of infractions, including a drug
offense in Connecticut that should have
revoked his license. But Massachusetts
hadn’t suspended it. Why? The MA DMV had
not opened the mail.
How commonly does this happen? And
what’s the toll?
The Research: Seeking the answer took the
Blind Spot team into a deep records & data
dive uncovering lax regulations nationwide.
Example: Blind Spot, Boston Globe
Six Key Questions to Ask Yourself
1. Is the information new? [surprise]
2. Is the information timely, with a news peg? [significance]
3. Can I get and verify what I need by my deadline? [scope]
4. Who will care? Can I identify my audience? [scale]
5. Can I bring the information to life? [storytelling]
6. Is there a logical follow up story? [sequel]
It’s the News - so we need something NEW!
Has this precise story been reported within the last 3 years?
●In the news outlet where you plan to pitch?
●In other news outlets?
●Older stories may have more recent news developments
Is the information new?
Can you find a fresh angle on a previously reported story?
●Can you make a local article national, or a national issue local?
●Is there someone/something else affected?
●Can you take a deeper dive?
●Can you analyze available data in a way others have not done?
Most recent information is best, but stories told with older or historical data
can be told in a new way or to offer new perspectives
Is the information new?
Is the information timely, with a news peg?
Why now?
Can you tell the story in a 6-12 word headline?
●No crackdown on assaults at colleges (BGlobe)
●Making farms organic is paying off (NYT)
●Deaths Among Pregnant Women and New Mothers Rose Sharply During
Pandemic (NYT)
What Thing Happening Now (News Peg) can you connect to? It can be as
simple as a significant anniversary or book launch date. Can find after the fact.
Can I get and verify what I need in time?
COMMON PITFALL: Don’t propose an academic research project! You’re an
on-deadline journalist: you don’t have time.
You need data that is
●Available
●Reliable & verifiable
●Manageable
You also need to be able to REACH THE PEOPLE YOU NEED and SCHEDULE
INTERVIEWS in a timely fashion. Are they willing to be ON THE RECORD?
At what scale will I pitch my story? Can I identify a venue?
●Campus wide (The Sophian)
●Local (The Daily Hampshire Gazette)
●Regional (The Boston Globe)
●National (The New York Times)
●Specific Genre (Scientific American, Ms. Magazine)
Will my story have an impact, and ON WHOM?
Who will Care? Can I identify my audience?
Are there characters or voices who can
illuminate the data
●Are they willing to participate?
Can immersion reporting enhance my narrative
●GO to the location
●SEE an event
●FOLLOW a source
Can I bring the data to life?
Is there multimedia to help power the
story
●Photographs
●Audio
●Video
●Graphics
Can I bring the data to life?
Is there a follow-up story?
Is there a development to track going forward? How will I monitor that? How
can the story advance in a week, month, year?
How will I collect reader/viewer feedback? Could that feedback be a source of
follow-up stories?
Can I hold something back for Day 2?
RECAP
Surprise
Significance
Scope
Scale
Storytelling
Sequel
Course design
●DATA will drive our stories
○Some of you are SDS majors who know how to code. That’s great! You may be more
challenged by the writing aspects of this course.
○Some of you have less coding experience. You will receive guidance and training but may
need to lean on SDS peers during teamwork. Offer back what you can - writing expertise,
reporting chutzpah, etc!
●We are going to WRITE!
○In a journalistic style
○We will seek primary sources, such as interviews and new datasets
○We will translate data analysis and its importance for a broad audience
○Which in turn should help train us in identifying publicly relevant data in the first place.
We will focus on LOCAL NEWS throughout the semester and will collaborate with local news outlet
The Shoestring.
●You will regularly read and consider local news.
●Dusty Christensen, investigative editor of The Shoestring, will visit next class.
●You will seek datasets relevant to the local news landscape within The Shoestring’s major news
categories: Policing & Prisons; Labor; Education; Housing; and Environment
●You will produce four major assignments driven by those datasets:
○The one-number story
○A data visualization relevant to a newsworthy topic (in teams)
○A team investigative news article driven by your data visualization (in teams)
○A “Closeread” scrollytelling visualization
●You will also be given informal and scaffolding assignments throughout the semester.
Course design
